The Designing the Parks summer internship program introduces young diverse groups of students to National Park Service design and planning professions.

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Mapping and Ribbon Cutting

This past week I continued to move along with my mapping of the existing conditions of the historic core of Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park. I had previously completed adding in the vegetation and focused mainly on the hardscape of building footprints, sidewalk paths, and fences lines, and am continuing on the interior roadway/walkways. The development of this document is to illustrate the landscape character in a rendered existing conditions map – which I am hoping to complete by the end of the week. For now, here is a non-rendered sample of a piece of the historic core. It is still a working document – but the Court House and McLean building footprints are both mapped, with surrounding vegetation.

In Progress Existing Conditions Mapping – Drawn by Sara Sanchez

Thursday of last week was a great day! Grace, Andre and I attended the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Reopening of the Peddocks Island Chapel after renovations. It was a beautiful day and the event was inspiring. This was my first time out to a Boston Harbor Island State and National Park and the island was alive with activity. There were some 400 school aged children playing games, running around, doing what children do – enjoying the recreational potential Peddocks provides. The interior of the Visitor Center is beautiful – there are repurposed hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and large gathering rooms with interpretive signage and images. The chapel is beautifully restored and is ready for it’s first event! The interior space is quite large without the presence of church aisle pews – post event we were talking about how wonderful Peddocks would be for a weekend destination wedding!

Foreground – Gov. Patrick in khaki cap on left, with Commissioner Jack Murray of the Department of Conservation and Recreation speaking

What a crowd! Many groups were involved with the restoration of the chapel.

Beautiful ceilings and restoration!

Grace and I representing SCA, with the Chapel in the background

Panorama from the dock, looking into Peddocks Island

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One response to “Mapping and Ribbon Cutting”

The map is looking very good. This will be a critical piece of baseline data for the park to manage its landscape! I am so glad you guys made it our to Peddocks for the ceremony. The work completed is so impressive and it sounds like the weather was perfect…very important for an island visit!